Not the most entertaining evening at the Seaside – Blackpool ratings

Another tie against a lower league side, another chance for our exciting youngsters to get some Emirates pitch time. Well, that’s always the hope. The reality is usually far less enticing.

First Half

Pretty dire throughout. The only moment of quality was the goal. Stephan Lichtsteiner made a superb diagonal run in behind the Blackpool bus. Matteo Guendouzi picked him out with a glorious punched wedge shot and the Swiss trooper managed to divert it past the stranded Tangerines’ keeper.

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty

That really was the only football worthy of note in a turgid display of insomnia-crushing tedium.

Second Half

After the break, it seemed a case of, ‘score the second and we can all go home’. It duly arrived when a Jenko cross-cum-shot with his standing leg was palmed out by the Blackpool goalie back into the danger zone where Emile Smith Rowe shinned it into the turf and high up into the net.

Enter the referee, who was obviously disgruntled that his 15 minutes of fame was likely to peter out like a damp firework. He’d already missed several touches for corners and the like, along with the help of his incompetent sidekicks, but the coup de grace was still to come.

In the 56th minute Guendouzi put his arm across a Blackpool chap before hastily withdrawing it. The chap with orange shorts went down as if he’d been slung across the ring by Shirley Crabtree and the pathetic excuse for an official decided that this was a heinous-enough crime to send the Frenchman from the pitch for an early luxury jacuzzi and massage.

Game on for Blackpool. To be fair they did press, hit the post and then scored a goal from a corner from which O’Connor was given the freedom of Islington at the back post. They might have had an equaliser if their shooting and crossing was anywhere near standard. Cech was grateful to see the ball sail over his bar half a dozen times.

Petr’s passing out from the back hasn’t improved while he’s been in the sick bay. He nearly gifted Blackpool a second but the offside flag saved us.

Blackpool’s resurgence was ended when the ref evened things up after the Blackpool goalscorer committed GBH on Auba in the centre of the pitch. There’s a difference between taking a booking for the team and committing an offence which should get jail time. This was the latter.

Summary

Arsenal never looked like a team all night. Some seemed offended they’d been chosen to play for the second string, others were content to pass backwards rather than attempt to beat the bus.

The prize was yet another home tie, this time against our smelly neighbours. Hopefully we’ll get the winners of Boro v Burton in the semi final 2 legger. 🙂

Ratings

Cech: not a lot to do – needs to work on his passing…6

Lichtsteiner: great goal, looked at home against League One opposition…7

Mustafi: effective in parts – left his man (when he had a choice of two) for their goal…6

Pleguezuelo: Doesn’t look a centre back but a competent debut…7

Jenkinson: You can almost see how much he enjoys playing in a red and white shirt – assist for the second…9

Ramsey: not willing to make his extra class count – played well within himself…6

Guendouzi: MOTM by a country mile until the ref intervened – only pipped by Jenko’s enthusiasm…8

Smith Rowe: don’t remember him taking anyone on – the goal will give him some confidence hopefully…6

Maitland-Niles: lost at the start of the game but showed some decent touches when dropping deeper – rusty…6

Mkhitaryan: why am I playing in the Caribou Cup? – another Ramsey-like performance…6

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First half: Arsenal were the better team and deservedly went into the break ahead.

Second half: the pound will rise again as soon as a Brexit deal is agreed (and it will be agreed). The dollar is soaring which is having a negative effect on the Emerging Markets.

Cech was superb but we got a scary reminder of his footwork, ohhh, that was really scary.

Lichsteiner: The Swiss has become a personal favourite; he was the only one capable of dealing with Zaha on the weekend and was solid as a rock last evening. Great to see him get on the score board, I loved the look on his face; he was so unused to scoring he didn’t quite know what to do.

Mustafi: that was about his level, it is interesting that he was picked to play rather than Big Sok, it is even more fascinating that Holding is now being protected ahead of the German for the weekend’s clash.

Pleguezuelo: I found it difficult to access the young Mallorcan’s performance from such a poor stream but he seemed to be in the right place at the right time. It all bodes well for the future.

Jenkinson: does he get an assist for the ESR goal. I always think he looks very nervous when he gets near the goal, can you imagine how much he really wants to score and how much pressure that brings. Criticism of him being a full kit wanker are a bit harsh lol. No really, it was good to see him out there again.

Guendouzi: running the show before wrongly sent off, superb pass for our Rabid Right Back (make your own name up) to get on the end off and score our first goal.

Ramsey: I thought that with contract negotiations going further south that this might affect his performance but no, he was up and at em. I was surprised by just how much he really looked like it meant something to him.

Smith Rowe (Lab) Yah, another goal and that is exactly what young players need to boast their confidence and make further strides to becoming top players.

Maitland Niles (Cons) The thing about this is that we thought that he was going to be the next midfield star and he may well do but Guendouzi is shining so brightly that MN is finding himself in the Frenchman’s shadows a bit. Good to see him out there again fit and healthy and at least giving us a glimpse of the silky skills he possesses.

Mkhitaryan: still plugging away, no signs of frustration at not being in the big boy team. He is lacking end product and until he improves that he will stay where he is. Nevertheless a committed performance.

Welbeck: who would have thought that he would be demoted to being below Iwobi in the pecking order. I am probably being a bit harsh on young Alex and the sterling strides of improvement that he has made this season but hey ho, Danny remains a favourite and I wish him well.

I don’t know about you lot but I am really looking forward to spuds at home, in both games.

I just tried to watch the Emery post match interview, I can’t stop myself cringing; he is awful. One the most important signing the club could make in the January window is a decent English teacher for him.

Mind you, seeing Unai’s transfers of Torreira and Guendouzi (ages 22 and 19) I’d say the outlook for our youth is bleak because the competition is likely to get stiffer. More loans for the good ‘uns is probably the best bet like that Nelson fella

I tell you what.The sending off could be timed to make sure he aint available for the Pool game. During the 90s many key gunners were targetted and sent off so that the gunners wont be that strong to play Mu.
Just check the stats. Why Mu aint winning as much as before.

A Brexit deal might be agreed but it will not get through Parliament and consequently the pound will not rise in the near future.
It’s position will be further threatened as the markets consider a future Labour Government in power…..but at least an evil, self-serving bunch of bigots will be removed from power for at least half a generation.

Zookeeper says to Randy “The Gorilla is on heat and we need someone to have sex with it. Would you consider doing it for £500?” Randy replies “I will on 3 conditions. Firstly I’m not gonna kiss it. Secondly my family must never know. And lastly, I’ll need a couple of weeks to get the cash together”

I am also upset abour Ramsey leaving and I do not really know what the reason behind is. Unless he wanted some kind of astronomical contract, I don’t see any reasons for him to leave and I am quite sure he would have made an effort. For me, he is the archetypical Emery player and Emery said very early on that he wanted to make Ramsey an important player in his project so it really baffles me…
I would sell El Neny and Mustafi to keep Ramsey.

So let’s get into it straight away. Marriner to referee. At least the game won’t be stop start, play on is his mantra, but he also allows quick starts from free kicks. Don’t turn you backs Arsenal.
I would “experiment” in midfield because I believe an (understandable) cautious approach would lead to a 1-0 or 2-1 defeat. So my midfield would be Terrier slightly behind A M-N and (regretfully) Xhaka.
Any thoughts early on?